Overnight backpack in the Piney Forks area with wind on bluff action
1/10/24
What can you say about Big Piney Creek? It's big...it's piney...it's a creek, dammit. Get off me. Get on the Big Piney Creek. Hell, I did. On Wednesday morning at 10:15, the skies were clear and the ambient temp was 32°. A light coating of snow from the day before glistened, as if...light refracted from within each unit's crystalline inner structure. The icy leaves were quickly losing this envelope as the sun and rising temperature released them from their frozen tombs. My way was made down the valley and into the very bottom, where the melting snow did gather and flow.
This creek was followed as it dodged from side to side in a zig-zagging fashion. Luncheon was partaken of where the water dropped over a series of falls with extreme bedrock action. After this, a bluff line was traced to the east. Eventually, my camp site was found and occupied. My tent was erected and other assorted sundry tasks were performed. The afternoon remained sunny, yet windy. The temp rose into the upper 40's. Dinner was slammed down my gullet just after sunset. By 6:00 my tent was filled with my carcass and other expensive gear. Sleep eluded me, as it tends to while I'm out in the shrubbery.
By 3:30, being in the tent grew tiresome, so I leaped from it into the 28° darkness. There was no visible moon. Many woodland creatures came forth in an attempt to take me down, but this was not to be. Each was easily dispatched and tossed over the bluff. My expensive gear was packed while a sausage muffin was ingested. The camp was checked and checked again. No need to leave any defeated woodland creatures littered about, man. I proceeded up the mountain towards the uppermost elevations. Before the sun could rise, my vehicle was in sight. The temp had risen to 31°. It was then that I drove home at a high rate of speed. Round trip hike mileage was 4.7 imperial units.
